------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: Wed, 08 Jul 1998 13:11:38 +0100
To: bostrom.domain.name.hidden
From: "Jacques M. Mallah" <jqm1584.domain.name.hidden> (by way of David Pearce <dave.domain.name.hidden.com>)
Subject: The many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics
Hello. You are receiving this because you appear to favor the
many worlds interpretation (MWI), based on a check of the internet. I
apoligize if this has reached you in error.
I'm trying to start a mailing list for MWIers. The list of
addresses will not be displayed as above; it will use the free web based
service of coolist.com.
This letter is a one time mailing. If you don't want to
communicate with your fellow MWIers, do nothing.
If you want to join the list, just go to www.coollist.com and sign
up. The name of the list is mwi. You will recieve a confirmation and
authorization letter.
Reply to it, wait a few days so everyone can sign up, and start
posting to the list.
The list will not be moderated, at least initially. That can be
changed if it becomes necessary.
Tell your MWIer friends - students, professors, girlfriends,
anyone who is an MWIer.
So if we already know about the MWI, why should we need such a
mailing list?
I am hoping it can be a forum where MWIers can discuss both
technical and social issues related to the MWI.
Some technical issues are the proper method of deriving the
probabilities (still an area of controversy), the proper role of
consciousness and computationalism, and so forth.
This is physics - why social issues? The MWI has not become
widely accepted in spite of its technical superiority. There are probably
some social factors at work. For one thing, it is almost impossible to
believe the MWI if you believe in religion.
Does the MWI have social implications? You tell your children
that the solar system has nine planets and that the universe is full of
galaxies. Is it proper to tell them that there are many parallel worlds?
Would they believe it if you did?
What is the best way to educate people about the MWI? How did you
realize it was true? When will it be part of the standard QM textbook?
I hope to hear from you on the mailing list.
- - - - - - -
Jacques Mallah (jqm1584.domain.name.hidden)
Graduate Student / Many Worlder / Devil's Advocate
"I know what no one else knows" - 'Runaway Train', Soul Asylum
My URL:
http://pages.nyu.edu/~jqm1584/
_____________________________________________________
Nick Bostrom
Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method
London School of Economics
n.bostrom.domain.name.hidden
http://www.hedweb.com/nickb
Received on Wed Jul 08 1998 - 17:44:43 PDT